Support for flexible fire-escapes.



L. ARDENGO. SUPPORT FOR FLEXIBLE FIRE ESQAPBS.

APPLICATION FILED m. 28,1907. 899,371. Patented sept- 22, 1908.

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L. ARDENGO.

SUPPORT FOR FLEXIBLE FIRE Escuss. APPLIOAQIION HLED 001'. 28, 1907.

- Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFrroEi.

LOUIS ARDENGO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN OR TO HUGO A. THOMSEN, OFMADISON, NEW JERSEY.

SUPPORT FOR FLEXIBLE FIRE-ESCAPES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Septf22, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis ARDENGO, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supports forFlexible Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an improved portable fire escape supportespecially adapted for use in connection with a flexible ladder or otherflexible fire escape.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means foranchoring one end of a ladder to a suitable support and providing meansadjustably connected therewith to be placed outside a window for holdinga ladder and spacing it outward from the wall of the building tofacilitate the ascent 0r descent of persons using it;

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a transverse sectiontaken through the lower portion of a window showing this improved laddersupporting device applied and with the ladder in inoperative positionthereon. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of a building showingthe ladder-carrying member in operative position with a portion of aladder suspended therefrom. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the laddercarrying and spacing member with parts broken out to show the connectionof the cable therewith. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the anchoringdevice showing the ends of the connecting cable broken ofi. Fig. 5 is atransverse section thereof taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is asimilar view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a horizontalsection through the anchor member. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of thecable securing cap or clamp detached.

In the embodiment illustrated is shown an anchoring device, 1, and aladder carrying and spacing member, 15, adjustably and detachablyconnected by a flexible element 25,

preferably in the form of a steel cable.

The anchoring device comprises a base plate of any desired size composedof any suitable material, preferably of iron. This plate is providedalong itsopposite edges with a plurality of longitudinally spaced screwholes as, 2, to receive fastening screws as, 3, for securing it to thefloor, baseboard or any other suitable support. Formed on one face ofthis plate are two longitudinally extending tubular members formingbores 4 and .5 arranged diagonally of the plate at opposite ends thereofin parallel planes and through which the ends of the cable 25 aredesigned to pass. Each of these members, 4 and 5, extend preferablyabout one third of the length of the plate and between the inner endsthereof in the body of the plate is formed a recess, 6, preferably of awidth equal to the width of the two members 4 and 5. This recess 6, isfilled with a suitable soft metal, 7, such as lead or solder, and theupper surface thereof extends flush with the face of the plate and theends of the cable, 25, are adapted to be embedded therein when the partsare assembled.

A detachable cap member, 8, is adapted to fit between the inner ends ofthe tubular members 4 and 5 and is provided with laterally projectinglongitudinally extending flanges 9 and 10 havin spaced screw holes as 11for connection wit the plate by means of screws which engage screwthreaded openings as 12, in the plate body. clamp 8 is provided on itsinner face with two parallel longitudinally extending grooves 13 and 14arranged to register with the cable bores 4 and 5and adapted to fit overthe overlapping ends of the cable, 25, when the parts are assembled andforce them into the soft metal, 7-, by means of which they are firmlyclamped and held in adjusted position. When it is desired to lengthen orshorten the cable this clamping plate is removed and the ends placed inthe desired position, relatively to each other and the cap clamp againscrewed into position thereover for holding said ends firmly thereon.

The ladder carrying member or bracket, 15, comprises two heads 16 and 17preferably in the form of triangular plates connected at the threecorners thereof by rods 18 and 19' and 20, and a rotatable cableengaging member 20, is mounted on the rod 20. This member 20 ispreferably made in the form of a bar having a lateral extension with abore This cap or 21 extending longitudinally therethrough. A set screw26 extends through one wall of the bore 21 and is designed to engage thecable 25 which extends through said bore and clamp it in adjustedposition.

In the use of this fire escape or ladder support the anchor 1 is securedby the screws as 3,

to the floor or other suitable support and the cable, 25, is passedthrough the bore 21 in the rotatable member 20 of the bracket 15 and theends of said cable are then passed inward from opposite ends of theanchor plate, 1, through the bores 4 and 5 and are secured to said plateby means of the clamping cap, 8, as hereinbefore described. A ladder 27is secured in any desired manner to the rod 19, of the bracket 15, andis suspended therefrom in operative position, the triangular shape ofthe heads serving to hold said rod 19, spaced from the wall of thebuilding, as clearly shown in the drawings, and the rotatable member 20provides for the adjustment ofthe ladder-carrying member to permit it tolie flat against the wall of the support. The bracket 15 is placedoutside of the window and is held suspended by the cable 25, the lengthof which may be adjusted to bring said bracket against the window silljust outside of the window.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a flexible ladder support the combination of a ladder carryingmember, an anchor member, a flexible element connecting said members andmeans carried by said anchor member for engaging and clamping the endsof said flexible member longitudinally and adjustably securing said endsfor varying the length of said element and the space between said anchorand ladder carrying members.

2. In a flexibleladder support, the combination of a ladder carryingmember, an anchor member, a flexible element connecting said members,means carried by said anchor member for adjustably securing the ends ofsaid flexible element, for varying the length of said element and thespace between said anchor and ladder carrying members, and means carriedby said ladder carrying member for adjustably connecting said flexibleelement therewith.

3. The combination of ananchor member havinglongitudinally spaced boresarranged in parallel planes and extending longitudinally of said member,a ladder carrying member, a flexible element connected with said lastmentioned member and having its ends extended through the bores in saidan chor and means-for clamping said ends to said member.

4. The combinationof an anchor member having longitudinally spaced boresarranged in parallel planes and extending longitudinally of said member,a ladder carrying member, a flexible element connected with said lastmentioned member and having its ends' extended through the bores in saidanchor and a clamping member arranged between said bores, and provided.with means for engaging said cable ends.

5. The combination of an anchor member having longitudinally spacedbores arranged, in parallel planes and extending longitudinally of saidmember, a ladder carrying member, a flexible element connected with saidlast mentioned member ainl having its ends extended through the bores insaid anchor and a clamping member arranged between said bores andprovided with longitudinally extending parallel grooves to iit over saidcable ends and means for securing said clamping member in position.

6. The combination of an anchor plate having longitudinally spaced boresarranged in parallel planes and extending longitudinally of said plate,said plate having a recess therein between said bores a soft metalfilling disposed in said recess, a ladder carrying member, a flexibleelement connected with said last mentioned member and having its endsextended through the boresin said anchor plate and a cap plate forclamping said cable ends between it and said soft metal.

7. In a flexible ladder support, the combination of a ladder carryingmember, an anchor member, a flexible element connecting said members,and clamping means carried by said anchor member for longitudinallyengaging and adjustably securing the ends of said flexible element tosaid anchor member.

8. A ladder anchor member comprising a base plate having longitudinallyextending spaced tubular portions at its opposite ends and a grooved capplate removably mounted on said plate between said tubular portions.

9. A ladder anchor member comprising a base plate having longitudinallyextending spaced tubular portions at its opposite ends arranged inparallel planes and a clamping cap plate adjustably mounted on said.base plate between the inner ends of: said. tubular portions and havingparallel grooves on its inner face to register with said tubularportions.

10. A flexible ladder support comprising an anchor member, a laddercarrying member adjustably connected therewith and comprising spacedtriangular heads, members connecting the corner of said heads, one ofsaid members being movably connected. with said heads to permit saidladder-carrying member to swing, to adapt it to flt ilat against asupport and having a longitudinally extending bore therein to receive anelement for connecting the ladder-earrying member with the anchor.

1 1. A flexible ladder support comprising an anchor member, a laddercarrying member adjustably connected therewith and comprising spacedtriangular heads, members connecting the corners of said heads, one ofsaid members being movably connected with said heads and having alongitudinally extending bore therein, and a flexible element extendingthrough said bore and connected with said anchor.

12. A flexible ladder support comprising an anchor member, a laddercarrying member adjustably connected therewith and comprising spacedtriangular heads, members connecting the corner of said heads, one ofsaid members being movably connected with said heads and having alongitudinally extending bore therein, a flexibleelement extendingthrough said bore and adjustably connected with said anchor.

13. A flexible ladder support comprising an anchor member, a laddercarrying member adjustably connected therewith and comprising spacedtriangular heads, members connecting the corners of said heads, one ofsaid members being movably connected with said heads and having alongitudinally extending bore therein, and a flexible element extendingthrough said bore and connected with said anchor, and means for securely holding said flexible element in the bore of said ladder carryingmember.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LOUIS ARDENGO.

